Great Advice

I think this is brilliant advice:

"Listen to the quietest whispers of your mind. They are telling you the choices that will help you the most."

{source}

Just Distracting Enough

I particularly liked this by Ardeth Kapp when I read it:

"It is wonderful, but not surprising, that after the admonition to "be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God," he tells us how this is to be in these few simple and compelling words, "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not" (D&C 6:20, 36). Doubt and fear are enemies that can enslave us in prison walls of our own making.

Thoughts don't have to be sinful, only distracting enough to weaken the communication so we don't hear the whisperings of the Spirit. Looking unto him in every thought will eradicate thoughts that fuel the fires of jealousy, envy, pride, and related diseases that distract and destroy.

We are instructed, "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God" (D&C 121:45). President David O. McKay said, "No principle of life was more constantly emphasized by the Great Teacher than the necessity of right thinking".
(Ardeth Kapp, BYU Womens Conference 1999).

David O McKay also said, "I will tell you who you are, when you tell me what you think about, when you don't have time to think".

Remember our "thoughts don't have to be sinful, only distracting enough to weaken the communication so we don't hear the whisperings of the Spirit."

Hope you have a good day.

Small Miracles

“We do not know the future, but our Father in Heaven does, and He will lead and guide us if we let Him. When we are in tune with the Spirit, we will see many small miracles happen in our lives. I have found that having the ability to see and recognize these small... miracles is based upon my spiritual worthiness, my willingness to be obedient, and my desire to not allow myself to become complacent and caught up in worldly and personal pursuits.”

(Ronald T. Halverson, “Obeying the Whisperings of the Holy Ghost”)


***Thanks Alisha for the quote:)

Intellectual Pride

“Intellectual pride is very prevalent in our day. Some people exalt themselves above God and His anointed servants because of their learning and scholarly achievements. We must never allow our intellect to take priority over our spirit. Our intellect can feed our spirit and our spirit can feed our intellect, but if we allow our intellect to take precedence over our spirit, we will stumble, find fault, and may even lose our testimonies”.


(Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Press On,” Liahona, Nov 2004, 101–4)

Shhhh.... Listen....

"God does not send thunder if a still, small voice is enough."
-Neal Maxwell

What Happens When You Don't Get An Answer?

"Some misunderstandings about prayer can be clarified by realizing that the scriptures define principles for effective prayer, but they do not assure when a response will be given. Actually, He will reply in one of three ways. First, you can feel the peace, comfort, and assurance that confirm that your decision is right. Or second, you can sense that unsettled feeling, the stupor of thought, indicating that your choice is wrong. Or third—and this is the difficult one—you can feel no response.

What do you do when you have prepared carefully, have prayed fervently, waited a reasonable time for a response, and still do not feel an answer? You may want to express thanks when that occurs, for it is an evidence of His trust. When you are living worthily and your choice is consistent with the Savior’s teachings and you need to act, proceed with trust. As you are sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit, one of two things will certainly occur at the appropriate time: either the stupor of thought will come, indicating an improper choice, or the peace or the burning in the bosom will be felt, confirming that your choice was correct. When you are living righteously and are acting with trust, God will not let you proceed too far without a warning impression if you have made the wrong decision."

Richard G. Scott, “Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer,” Ensign, May 2007, 8–11

Paddling in Circles

Chieko N. Okazaki:
"What happens if you try to paddle a boat using only one oar? You go around and around in circles. If you paddle hard, you go fast. If you paddle slowly, you turn gently. But you still just go around in circles. It’s the same with trying to make study replace faith or trying to exercise faith but without study. We can often find ourselves just going around in circles. I think that the Holy Ghost cannot give us some answers until we are actively seeking knowledge."
(Ensign, Nov. 1994)

Feeding and Nurturing the Flame

"There is a flame of desire for good deep within each of us. When that flame is fed and nurtured with the eternal truths of the gospel and the testimony of the Spirit, it will respond and grow stronger and brighter until it leads us to the fulness of truth. The flame must be kindled by love and tender care, then followed by constant nourishing. It is like the gardener who raises beautiful flowers. The constant, tender care and nourishment over time brings beautiful blossoms that are enjoyed by all who see them."
(Elder Ned B. Roueché, "Feed My Sheep," Ensign, November 2004, 30)
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Alma 32:37

"And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit."

A Promise

"He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost"

(2 Ne. 31:12)

Distractions

Nephi had just received the interrpretation of the dream his father had seen, and it says he had "seen all things".

I bet he would have loved to come home, maybe take some time to internalize what he had seen and felt, maybe share with his family some of the parts - just dwell in the Spirit.

Well, this is what he came back to:

"And it came to pass that I behled my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them".
"And I Nephi was grieved becasue of the hardness of their hearts...."
(1 Nephi 14:2,4)

Maybe we've all had times like this when we have felt the spirit, or the Lords love, and something has happened which seems determined to drive out feelings of peace, and to encourage us to question what we have felt. A few verses later it says "after [Nephi] had received strength" he spoke to his brethren about it. I take comfort in this experience, that this is a pattern which sometimes happens, and if we feel like there a million other people have felt that too, that we too will receive strength. We must never forget what the Lord tells us, other peoples opinions can't change that, and the Lord will give us strength to help them too, when the time is right.

Spiritual Manifestations - Part 2

Elder Boyd K. Packer shares about gaining his testimony of the Book of Mormon. He says:

“If I expected a glorious manifestation to come at once as an overpowering experience, it did not happen. Nevertheless, it felt good, and I began to believe.

If I had expected in my little-boy innocence some special spiritual experience, it had not happened. Over the years as I listened to sermons and lessons and read in the Book of Mormon, I began to understand.

[An] example: We once had a major decision to make. When our prayers left us uncertain, I went to see Elder Harold B. Lee. He counseled us to proceed. Sensing that I was still very unsettled, he said, "The problem with you is you want to see the end from the beginning." Then he quoted this verse from the Book of Mormon, "Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith" (Ether 12:6).

He added, "You must learn to walk a few steps ahead into the darkness, and then the light will turn on and go before you." That was a life-changing experience from one verse in the Book of Mormon.

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Then I remembered these two quotes:
Personal revelation comes with different forms of answers. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains these different answers:
“When He answers yes, it is to give us confidence.
“When He answers no, it is to prevent error.
“When He withholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth.”

Remember this counsel ...... Elder Boyd K. Packer said:
“Sometimes you may struggle with a problem and not get an answer. What could be wrong? It may be that you are not doing anything wrong. It may be that you have not done the right things long enough. Remember, you cannot force spiritual things. Put difficult questions in the back of your minds and go about your lives. Ponder and pray quietly and persistently about them. The answer may not come as a lightning bolt. It may come as a little inspiration here and a little there, ‘line upon line, precept upon precept’
(D&C 98:12).

I just felt so excited when I put all these things together (maybe you had to be there with me:). But I have been in positions frequently in my life where I have been trying to get answers to questions in my life, and basically from these experiences it confirms to me that the big manifestations are rare, and that most of us won’t have these life-changing experiences, but that as we live the gospel the pieces of the jigsaw-puzzle will come together for us, 'as a natural
consequence to the performance of duty'.

Continue to live faithfully, and everything will fall into place. I promise.

Spiritual Manifestations - Part 1

So I was re-reading some old things I had written down and found three quotes I had put together that had helped me to learn about the kind of manifestations Hevanely Father typically gives. It's rather long so I'm going to split them up into two posts. Here's quote one:

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President David O. McKay always imagined that he would get his testimony of the gospel ‘out in the groves or on the hills’. One day he was riding over the hills on his horse, and it seemed to be the perfect setting for this spiritual manifestation. He said he got off his horse and ‘knelt by the side of a tree. The air was clear and pure, the sunshine delightful; the growing verdure and flowers scented the air….’ – sounds perfect huh? – He continues: “I knelt down and with all the fervour of my heart poured out heart to God and asked him for a testimony of this gospel. I had in mind that there would be some manifestation; that I should receive some transformation that would leave me absolutely without doubt."

“I got up, mounted my horse, and as he started over the trail, I remember rather introspectively searching myself and involuntarily shaking my head, saying to myself, ‘No, sir, there is no change; I am just the same boy I was before I knelt down.’ The anticipated manifestation had not come.”

Even though he did not immediately receive the manifestation he expected, President McKay continued to seek a personal witness. He later related that “the spiritual manifestation for which I had prayed as a boy in my teens came as a natural consequence to the performance of duty.”

(Teachings of the President of the Church – David O. McKay, p.166)

Quote 2 tomorrow.....

The Spirit and Revelation

Just a couple of good quotes I've been sent recently:

"We are told that our mission in life is to "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" (Moro. 10:32). But that is not a simple thing. Life is too complex to provide a rule book that covers every situation. Instead, the Lord has given us the Holy Ghost to serve as our teacher, watchman, mentor, and guide."
(Gerald N. Lund. Selected Writings of Gerald N. Lund)

"The patterns of revelation are not dramatic. The voice of inspiration is a still voice, a small voice. There need be no trance, no sanctimonious declaration. It is quieter and simpler than that."
(Boyd K. Packer Ensign, Nov. 1989)

Just liked them:)

President Hinckley Always Makes Me Cry!!

This is a clip called "Lesson I Learned as a Boy", from a talk given by President Hinckley, and it made me cry! It shows the power of choices. When we make choices based on love the Lord can use us. Don't you just love President Hinckley, oh, and remember to mute the music on my blog before watching.

Tools from the Rock

The story of Nephi being commanded to build the ship has always been one of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon. The Lord had told Lehi and his family to get to the promised land, and he told Nephi how that journey would be possible:

“And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.”
(1 Nephi 17:8)

To build his ship, he knew he would need to right tools, and this is where he went to get them:

“And it came to pass that I did make tools of the ore which I did molten out of the rock.”
(1 Nephi 17:16)

If we liken the ship to the type of life we lead, and the tools to the attributes that we have, the only place to go to make a ship, or a life, which is after the manner God has in mind for us, is to go to the Rock, our Redeemer, this is the only place we can go to find the tools of love, peace, kindness, longsuffering, patience, faith, that will help us to build a life that ensures our journey will be a happy one for us. This we can control.

I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and for the Comforter which enlightens our minds and brings understanding along the way.

With best wishes for a beautiful day.

Parental Teaching - Elder Eyring

"We cannot control what others choose to do, and so we cannot force our children to heaven, but we can determine what we will do. And we can decide that we will do all we can to bring down the powers of heaven into that family we want so much to have forever.

A key for us is in the proclamation: 'Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.'

What could make it more likely that people in family would love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and obey the law? It is not simply teaching them the gospel. It is in their hearing the word of God and then trying it in faith. If they do, their natures will be changed in a way that produces the happiness they seek."
(Elder Henry B. Eyring, "The Family," Ensign, Feb.1998, 18)

Being Someones Answer

"Have you ever thought that someone somewhere may be pleading with Heavenly Father for help, and you may be the one chosen to help answer that prayer? If we're willing, He'll use us. You likely have no idea how often you rescue someone. "

—Mary Ellen Edmunds, Knit Together in Love-

I hope that you can be used today by Him, and that if you are the one in need of rescue that you will be rescued.

Casting Our Minds Back

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.”

(D&C 6:22)

One of the things I’ve always believed is that reason and emotion will only carry us so far, but never far enough – faith is what carries us forward. One of the ways which my faith has been built the most is by ‘remembering’ what the Lord has told me, thus instilling confidence. As with Oliver Cowdrey, who was told by the Lord to ‘cast his mind back’, remembering is the beginning place to go when you begin to feel doubt. Cast your mind back to when you felt peace, and there you will find your answer waiting to be re-discovered.

As with any principle that has great power in it, Satan knows how to use this one against us. He will want us to come and dwell on all the bad times. He’ll want us to think about them and remember them, so that we speak and act out of those instead of the good memories. I used to have a bad habit of only being diligent in my journal writing when I was having a hard time with something. Now when I look back over some of these past entries I regret not recording the positive experiences. Now I am being more diligent in writing down my daily blessings, so that when future children read “the small plates of Sarah”, it will be a much more faith-promoting up-lifting read, and the answers to my questions will be able to be brought to the fore-front of my mind.

Hope today finds you happy.

Boring Sunday Meeting?

This is from a talk given in the Spring 2005 Open Houses for Sunday School, given by the Sunday School General President, and I thought I'd take a peak at it. It begins with this experience, which really gave me some food for thought. Hope you like it too:)
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"Someone once asked President Spencer W. Kimball,"What do you do if you find yourself caught in a boring sacrament meeting?" President Kimball thought a moment, then replied, "I don't know; I've never been in one" (in Gene R. Cook, Teaching by the Spirit[2000], 140). With his long years of Church experience, I'm sure that President Kimball had been to meetings where people had read their talks, spoken in a monotone, or given travelogues instead of teaching doctrine. But I suspect that President Kimball was teaching that he did not go to sacrament meeting to be entertained; he went to worship the Lord, renew his covenants, and be taught from on high. If he attended with an open heart, a sincere desire to be "nurtured by the good word of God," and a prayer—rather than judgment—for the speakers, the Spirit would teach him what he needed to do to be a more effective and faithful disciple. President Kimball was teaching the principle of learning by the Spirit."-
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I hope your Sabbath day is one of learning and of feeling the Spirit.

Journals

Elder Henry B. Eyring talked about how the Holy Ghost can help us remember as we write in our journals. He said,

'Journals are a way of counting our blessings. .. . As you start to write, [you could have an experience with the gift of the Holy Ghost.] [You]could ask yourself, "How did God bless me today?" If you do that long enough and with faith, you will find yourself remembering blessings. And sometimes, you will have gifts brought to your mind [by the gift of the Holy Ghost] which you failed to notice during the day, but which you will then know were a touch of God's hand in your life' .

(Ensign, Nov. 1989, 11)